Category: John Bruton

John Bruton: Everybody should pay – except me

I see former Taoiseach John Bruton is absolutely determined to hold onto every cent of his massive €138,000 ministerial pension (Irish Independent).

I don’t think service as a politician is any less worthy than any other form of service, particularly as politicians have been directly and personally selected by the people in a way that other public servants are not.

This is the same greedy politician who regularly lectures Irish citizens on the need to make sacrifices for the good of the country. Some quotes from the ‘patriot’.

Given that we fought a war of independence to get the sovereign right to borrow…we have a responsibility to repay every penny we owe, on time.

In essence, the cause of today’s debt problems is that developed countries awarded themselves a living standard they had not earned.

It will all mean postponing increases in living standards, paying more tax, and getting fewer benefits from the Government.

The above demands do not, of course, apply to Mr. Bruton.

I wrote the following last August.

Does this mean that Bruton will be giving up or substantially reducing the following Government benefits?

The nearly quarter of a million he has drawn down under the (totally unjustified) Secretarial Assistants Scheme for former Taoisigh.

His TDs pension.

His Ministerial pension.

His Taoiseach’s pension.

Any EU (Government) benefit he’s in receipt of as a result of his stint as EU Ambassador to the US.

Any generous Government/EU payments or subsidies he may be receiving for his farm.

A reduction in his present salary as chairman of the IFSC.

Somehow I think Bruton will be holding on to all his ‘entitlements’.

The ‘we’ he is demanding major sacrifices from are, I suspect, ordinary citizens struggling to survive the financial disaster brought down upon them by ruthless, incompetent politicians like Bruton.

Former Taoiseach John Bruton invested into the Royal Order of Codswallop

Former Taoiseach John Bruton was recently invested into the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George and the Royal Order of Francis 1.

The ceremony took place in Westminster Cathedral in London.

The President of Ireland and Queen Elizabeth II sent messages for the occasion.

The Orders are dedicated to the promotion of the Catholic faith and charitable works.

Bruton will be joining such luminaries as Baroness Margaret Thatcher and Sir Michael Smurfit as members of the Royal Order of Francis 1.

I mean….what a load of codswallop.

Bruton demands sacrifices from everybody – except himself

If we want to fix the current (financial) mess we must pay ourselves less.

This, according to John Bruton, is the only way out of our current problems, he goes on: (my emphasis)

In essence, the cause of today’s debt problems is that developed countries awarded themselves a living standard they had not earned.

It will all mean postponing increases in living standards, paying more tax, and getting fewer benefits from the Government.

Does this mean that Bruton will be giving up or substantially reducing the following Government benefits?

The nearly quarter of a million he has drawn down under the (totally unjustified) Secretarial Assistants Scheme for former Taoisigh.

His TDs pension.

His Ministerial pension.

His Taoiseach’s pension.

Any EU (Government) benefit he’s in receipt of as a result of his stint as EU Ambassador to the US.

Any generous Government/EU payments or subsidies he may be receiving for his farm.

A reduction in his present salary as chairman of the IFSC.

Somehow I think Bruton will be holding on to all his ‘entitlements’.

The ‘we’ he is demanding major sacrifices from are, I suspect, ordinary citizens struggling to survive the financial disaster brought down upon them by ruthless, incompetent politicians like Bruton.

Bruton under investigation: No worries

I see former Taoiseach John Bruton is being investigated by the European Commission regarding his acceptance of his job at the IFSC (Irish Independent).

The Commission claims Mr. Bruton should have informed them of his new job since it is less than two years since he left his position as the EU’s ambassador to the US.

Mr. Bruton said he was completely unaware that he had an obligation to get prior approval from the EU.

Is it credible that a former Taoiseach with long experience dealing with EU politics and law and subsequent years of service with the EU as ambassador was unaware of such a fundamental EU regulation?

It would be a bit like an Irish politician being ‘completely unaware’ of his pension rights.

Mr. Bruton is, however, unlikely to suffer any pain as a result of his ‘error’. EU officials are still on a steep learning curve regarding the relationship between Irish politicians and accountability.